Recovery methods we can use

Find out the methods we can use to recover a debt if you have not paid your Council Tax.

The current processing time for new applications and changes to council tax is an average of 6 weeks. If you contact us with a general enquiry online we will reply to you within two workingdays.

Attachment of earnings

If you are working we will ask your employer to take a percentage of your earnings and pay it directly to us. The amount we can take from your pay can vary between 3 percent and 50 percent depending on how much you earn.

Your employer must put the attachment of earnings in place and may be prosecuted if they don’t. They can add £1.00 for each deduction made to cover their costs.

Attachment of benefits

If you are on Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance or Pension Credit we can ask the Department for Work and Pensions to take an amount from your benefit and pay it directly to us.

We can’t take any money from retirement or disability pensions.

Bailiffs (enforcement agents)

If your debt is passed to the bailiff you will need to contact them directly to discuss payment on this debt. More information on their procedures and charges is on our bailiff (enforcement agent) page.

Bankruptcy

If bailiff action has failed and you owe more than £750.00 we can initiate bankruptcy proceedings against you. If we have to take this action then you may have to pay significant costs and if made bankrupt your property may be sold.

Charging order

If you own property and you owe more than £1000.00 we may consider placing a charge on your property. This will involve additional costs and could mean you will have to sell the property to settle your debt.

Prison

If we are unable to recover the debt by any of the other recovery options we will ask the Magistrate to issue a summons to attend a committal hearing. If the court determines that you have the ability to pay, or have refused to pay, then it could impose a prison sentence for up to 3 months.